Content Warning: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised this story contains the image and name of a Kamilaroi/Dunghutti man who has passed away.
At NSW Parliament House, we stood with our clients, the family of Ricky “Dougie” Hampson, as they announced that the NSW Coroner has established a coronial inquest into the death of their beloved son.
Our clients said that a weight has been lifted from their shoulders, because while nothing can bring back their son, now they can seek answers and find out the truth about what happened to Dougie.
+13,000 sign #Justice4Dougie petition
We would like to thank Sue Higginson MLC for receiving our clients’ petition of more than 13,700 signatures who backed their call for justice.
Thanks to the support of so many people in the community, our clients’ voices have been heard by the NSW Government.
Our clients told media and parliamentarians that they believe their son, a 36-year-old Kamilaroi-Dunghutti man and father of eight children, died because he received inadequate care and prejudicial treatment.
After presenting to Dubbo Hospital on 14 August 2021 with a ‘popping’ sensation in his stomach, Dougie was sedated and discharged the next morning. Less than 24 hours later, he was found deceased from perforated stomach ulcers.
Above (L-R): Karina Hawtrey, Mary Chatfield, George Newhouse, Lydia Chatfield, Ricky Hampson Snr, Anita Chatfield, Sue Higginson MLC
Exposing systemic discrimination
This was a needless death, and we want to make sure that it never happens again in NSW hospitals.
Not only is the inquest a chance to examine Dougie’s needless death, but it is a chance to expose systemic discrimination in the NSW Healthcare system.
As Dougie’s family said: “So many of our people continue to die from avoidable deaths and no-one has ever been held accountable.”
“Enough is enough and this needs to change. We don’t want any more of our community to die due to lack of care and bias in Australia.”
Read these media reports to learn more about this story:
- ‘Someone needs to be held to account’: Inquest into Indigenous man’s death, Sydney Morning Herald
- NSW coroner to investigate treatment of Indigenous man who died after leaving Dubbo Hospital, ABC News
- ‘Biased decisions’: Ricky Hampson’s family demand staff accountability for Dubbo Hospital death, NITV
